Hey Baby It's Warm Outside ...

... Well, it was when I took these baby bird pictures. 🙂

I don't know the species. My guess is a flycatcher of some type. Eastern Phoebe and Great-crested Flycatcher both breed in the yard.

But call as it might, no mama or papa bird came.

So while this youngin' had little fear of me perhaps mom and dad were a bit more wary? And thus waited until I was gone to come and collect junior?

Then again, maybe it was just time for junior to be out on its own.

Anyways, I hope it is a nice diversion from the cold and relatively colorless winter world.

On the Prowl

Deer aren't the only unwanted visitors to the yard.

This very nice looking kitty cat paid a visit on Saturday.

We have three cats. And they are constantly looking for the warmest place in the house during these cold winter days (which is often on my lap as I'm trying to use the computer).

So it saddens us to see these cats outdoors in the cold.

🐈  🐈  🐈  🐈  🐈

We reported an infestation of Gypsy Moth Caterpillars this summer and the township sent an inspector out to see just how bad it was. This inspector came on a weekend and in chatting we learned that he lived in Lower Bank, a forty or so minute drive. So we asked why he didn't come during the week when he was in the area. He told us he needed to visit a couple of properties down the road from us, and folks were only home on weekends. One of the properties he explained was an abandoned place which housed a feral cat colony. The owner had been told to clean the place up, and he was checking if there was any progress.

Judging from the frequency with which we have cats visiting the yard I doubt much progress has been made.

Yard Critter of the Week - Brown Creeper

Brown Creeper.

A small, well camouflaged, and thus often overlooked critter.

And one we are always excited to find in the yard.

We've had at least one and sometimes two visit us every year since we've moved here. Each winter they come, stay for a couple days to a few weeks. And then they're gone.

Until next year.

🐦  🐦  🐦  🐦  🐦

You can find all of the Yard Critter posts listed here.

A Big Bright Spot

On our trip to Utah this past March, I did what I usually do, looked out the airplane window.

And I saw this, a big bright spot.

A big bright spot that traveled along with us, moving across the landscape below. You can see for yourself in this linked video. (Warning, this is just a boring video of a barely visible bright spot moving across the farm fields in the center of the image. Enjoy!)

This is an example of the Opposition Effect. This occurs when looking at the anti-solar point, as the shadows cast by objects in that direction are completely behind those very same objects. And are thus blocked from the viewer. This lack of shadows makes the area appear brighter than its surroundings.

Click here for an explanation of the phenomena (as always for anything optics related, it is from Les Cowley's excellent Atmospheric Optics site).

Here is another video, this one showing a dark spot surrounded by a subtle glow moving across the ground. In this case the plane is lower in altitude so we can see its shadow.

☁️  ☁️  ☁️  ☁️  ☁️

Of course, to observe such phenomena the sky needs to be clear. Earlier in the flight it was cloudy, as shown in the image below. And the Opposition Effect was not visible.

No doubt hidden behind that Glory.

Bluebirds

One of my favorite yard birds is the Eastern Bluebird.

Patty and I both look forward to their visits.

So much so we tried to get them to take up residence.

That has not yet occurred.

But they still stop by for a bite to eat.

These two males have been visiting for the past few weeks.

At least I think it is the same two males.

Enjoying meal worms and suet.

And this past Saturday we had our first female visit.

Maybe this year they'll take up residence. Our fingers are crossed.

Birds and Snow

Not just the deer came to the feeders that day.

Northern Flicker

Fox Sparrow

Fox Sparrow

House Finches, Male & Female

Purple Finch, Female

House Finch, Male

Northern Cardinal, Female

White-breasted Nuthatch

Dark-eyed Junco, Male

Eastern Bluebird, Male

Northern Flicker

Oh Deer Part III

Saturday morning. I told you they'd be back.

We use that stump as a platform feeder and it's loaded up with bird seed.

Well it was.